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The Blair Kinghorn verdict on 'normal bloke' Antoine Dupont

Antoine Dupont acknowledges the France fans after last month's win over Argentina (Photo by Franco Arland/Getty Images)

Scotland international Blair Kinghorn has shed light on what it is like having Antoine Dupont as his Toulouse teammate. It was around this time last year when the long-serving Edinburgh player quit the URC for the Top 14 and his one-year anniversary was celebrated in smashing fashion with last Sunday’s 61-21 hammering of Ulster.

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France scrum-half Dupont was unplayable in that Investec Champions Cup opener and his swashbuckling performance was capped by his mesmerising kicked assist to put Ange Capuozzo in at the corner for a 57th-minute try.

Kinghorn has since made a guest appearance on the latest Rugby Pod show and he explained to co-hosts Andy Goode and Jim Hamilton what it is like to have Dupont as a teammate. “It’s funny, you always get asked about him because people are so interested because he is the best player in the world. Is he the best player of all-time? Maybe. Who knows. I don’t know. Do you know?

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      “From a rugby point of view, the stuff he does in training, how hard he works, the stuff that you see at the weekend there, his kick-pass score-assist to Ange in the corner, it’s not by chance that is happening, the amount of time you will see him do that in training pre, post and during training you understand how he is so accurate around game day, he practices so much.

      “From a non-rugby point, he is just a normal bloke to be honest. He is so famous and he performs so well, you feel like could that have gone to someone’s head but it’s not the case there.

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      Penalty Goals
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      9
      Tries
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      7
      Conversions
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      0
      Drop Goals
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      135
      Carries
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      7
      Line Breaks
      2
      17
      Turnovers Lost
      13
      6
      Turnovers Won
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      “He is just so chilled, just a good bloke, like to hang out, going out for food the whole time, have a bit of banter here and there. Just like a normal guy who looks to hang out with his friends and turns up at the weekend and does his things. He is not bigger in the team. I don’t think he views himself like that at all. Just a general all-round good lad.”

      Asked was there a player in the Toulouse side whose ability took him by surprise, Kinghorn claimed he had his eyes opened by hooker Peato Mauvaka. “He is probably one of the most skilful players I have ever come across,” he enthused.

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      “When is just mucking around at training pre or post training he is just like always has a ball in his hands, he doesn’t drop balls. Someone will chuck a ball and he is just grabbing it with one hand, playing football the whole time, just all these small skills – he just nails it.

      “He caught me right by surprise. One of the best ball handlers in the team, so skilful. He gets a lot of praise now for the stuff that he is doing in the French team.

      “I remember watching in the World Cup when Julian Marchand got injured and Peato had come on early in that New Zealand game and he was carving up. Who is this guy, what is going on? Going to play with him, he is just crazy. He is a funny bloke as well but his skills are top.”

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      Comments

      2 Comments
      J
      JPM 231 days ago

      As highlighted by Kinghorn Mauvaka handling abilities are impressive for a hooker: he can grab the ball in any position. So that he outpaced Julien Marchand in both Toulouse and France.

      N
      NK 224 days ago

      On occasion, after being subbed around 50th minute, he returns from the bench to play flanker. I reckon he would be alright at center as well.

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      Comments on RugbyPass

      J
      JW 16 minutes ago
      Andy Goode: Aussie comments didn't cover them in glory

      Yes I was happy with the refs ruling of arrival (and that the tackled player wasn’t obligated to release the ball immediately) but if you see the wide angle you can note how Morgan dives to get there in time.


      I don’t mind your (or the refs) view, but what Morgan said is accurate. Both Mils and Beaver agreed on the breakdown, and you will also get the same view from Aotearoa Rugby Pod guys for a pretty unanimous NZ view.

      Sometimes when both players are low its a rugby collision and this is one of those times.

      Not recently. In the SR finals and AB v Arg series weve seen players clearly bent 90 at the waist still be penalised, only when the attacker does something the ref sees immediate mitigation and rules a rugby incident. Tizzano didn’t offer that he was always in the position Morgan aimed to collect him in.


      Happy to not throw the rule book at these situations but the precent is that they are in these situations.

      many tries out wide the player is allowed to be tackled while diving

      They are diving for the line, not to avoid being tackled.

      “In principle, in a try scoring situation, if the action is deemed to be a dive forward for a try, then it should be permitted. If a player is deemed to have left the ground to avoid a tackle; or to jump, or hurdle a potential tackler, then this is dangerous play and should be sanctioned accordingly.”

      You can read Nicks article for an updated discourse on this though.

      30 Go to comments
      J
      JW 54 minutes ago
      New Zealanders may not understand, but in France Test rugby is the 'B movie'

      But he was wrong, he had to take back what he said. But maybe this only happened because he came out and was honest with his initial plans?


      He’s simply in a position where he should be far more professional.


      I don’t really follow much media, especially SM, but again, I’ve not seen anyone complaining. Plenty of ridicule and pointing out things like it being disrespectful to the game, but as far as the English language goes, that’s not complaining. Nick Bishop for instance hasn’t been complaining, he’s simply saying Galthie made a bad decision for France’s prospects (which when the common reply is ‘thats how it is’).


      Complaining would be views expressing that the FFR should have put the tour back a week so that all T14 finalists could attend. Complaining would be saying they’ve been robbed of seeing the worlds best stars. Complaining would be saying players can simply take extra weeks off from T14. I’ve only seen advice and suggestions that these are things France need to look-at-for-the-future.


      Basically I tried to communicate with French fans because they don’t understand what’s being communicated. ALL reactions I have seen shared here by French supports have all seemed way over the top compared what I’ve seen expressed about this tour.

      the players are expected to play in too many matches, for too many minutes, and need more rest and recovery time.

      This is the message I have been sharing. So something needs to happen, whether thats France pull out of more Internationals or rest players from more domestic games, who knows, but I also don’t think what they have now is working. It’s obviously much better than 3-4 years ago, but they appear to want to work even harder at it like you say. Personally I’ve only seen LNR be reasonable, I hear much less of their other internationals being denied/influenced not to play, so I imagine that they will give even further (as I can’t really see France pulling out the other international windows as well).

      147 Go to comments
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